Hints of Cosmic String Induced Discontinuities in the COBE Data?

Abstract

We apply new statistical tests on the four year 53 GHz DMR data and show that there is significant probability for the existence of coherent temperature discontinuities hidden in the CMB maps around the Galactic Poles. Comparing Monte Carlo simulations with the DMR maps we find that the probability for the existence of a coherent discontinuity with amplitude $0.2 \times ({{δT} \over T})_{rms}$ superposed on the gaussian fluctuations is more than double than the corresponding probability when no discontinuity is present. This result is consistent with the existence of a horizon size long cosmic string with mass per unit length $μ$ given by $Gμv_s γ_s \simeq 10^{-6}/π$ where $v_s$ is the string velocity and $γ_s$ is the corresponding Lorentz factor.